A bishop of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church expressed support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

Bishop John of Branitsa, representing the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, expressed official support for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), noting the difficult conditions under which believers are forced to live. The bishop’s remarks came during a sermon at the Obradov Monastery, delivered with the blessing of Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria.

In his address, the bishop drew historical parallels, comparing the current pressure on the UOC to the period of persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian. The bishop emphasized that the UOC is a canonical church that is being persecuted by the authorities for its desire to preserve unity and independence from political interference.

“If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you,” Bishop John quoted from the Gospel, noting that persecution is not always physical in nature; believers often face humiliation, ridicule, and serious social pressure. According to the bishop, the trials that befall the faithful help them to grow stronger in their faith and to receive God’s grace, which enables them to overcome their fear of the world and refuse to make compromises that contradict Church Tradition.

It should be recalled that earlier, Metropolitan Gabriel of Lovech issued an official appeal to the Kyiv judges hearing the lawsuit filed by the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience (GESS) against the Kyiv Metropolis. The hierarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church called on representatives of the Ukrainian judiciary to demonstrate impartiality and be guided by spiritual principles, warning of the serious consequences of the possible dissolution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) for the entire global Orthodox community.